by J. M. Madden
Andrea frowned, looking at the woman more closely, but she shook her head. “I don’t, I’m sorry.”
“No need to be. You were dealing with the other woman at the time, giving her support. I thought that was really strong of you.”
Andrea smiled weakly. “I didn’t feel strong at the time. I was barely holding it together.”
Elaine smiled at her, nodding. “But you did,” she said softly.
Mike smiled as well, but there was tension in his face and Elaine seemed to sense it. “What’s going on, Powell? You don’t do social calls.”
Mike motioned into the shade of the garage. “Mind if we step out of view?”
Elaine led them through the cluttered garage and into the back yard to a nice table and chairs set. A massive umbrella was spread open, shielding them from the sun. “What’s going on?”
Mike handed her the sheaf of papers with the kids’ pictures. “Do you recognize any of these kids?”
Elaine went through the stack and began separating the pictures into two separate piles. Once she got done she tapped on the smaller stack. “These I recognize but can’t name off the top of my head, other than this little guy. I’ll have to check with my daughter but I think she babysits him occasionally. She’s at school now but I can send her a picture and ask.”
Mike looked at Jack, who nodded. “That’s fine. Don’t tell her why. Just get the name if she does know him. And the address if she knows it.”
Elaine snapped a picture of the paper and sent it to her daughter. “It shouldn’t take her long. She always has her phone in her hand.”
As if to back up her words the phone buzzed and she looked down. “Yes, she does babysit him. His name is Nicholas Caldwell. Good kid, eight years old. Lives two streets over, third house from the corner. Has a giant pond in the front yard. She’s supposed to watch him next month when the team gets back from deployment.”
Mike looked at Jack and Andrea and handed them the picture of the boy. He had a grin on his face and laughter in his bright eyes. Andrea thought he looked like a smart kid. And he was one of the targets.
“What school does he go to?” she asked.
“Sherwood Forest Elementary, just up the road.”
Andrea sighed, glad that they were at least getting some direction now.
Elaine sat back in her chair and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Are you going to tell me what this is about? Those other kids look familiar so they must be in my neighborhood as well.”
“We think terrorists have been surveilling the children for possible abduction, in the hopes that it will derail the team from their mission.”
Stunned, Elaine gasped. “Are you sure about this?”
“We weren’t sure if it was Team Ten but now that we have one of the children positively identified we can confirm it. We’ll build from young Nicholas, here.”
Elaine picked up the stack of papers again, going through them more slowly, scanning for any hint that she knew them, but she ended up with the same stack. One picture she turned to them. “I don’t know the child but I believe this is the dog park on Forest Drive. I recognize the area from a relay walk I participated in.”
Mike made a note on the back of the paper. “Anything else?”
Elaine shook her head. “My daughter might recognize them if we ask her. If they ride the bus or something I might never see them.”
“If we get stuck we’ll be back later on today when she gets home,” Jack told her. “Until then, you need to keep this quiet. We don’t know when or where something will happen but if we can identify the kids before they’re attacked, quietly, we’ll do that.”
Elaine nodded, still looking worried. “Please keep me posted. And if there’s anything I can do please let me know. I’m going to be worrying about this until I hear something.”
Andrea nodded. “One of us will let you know,” she promised.
The three of them trooped out to the truck and got in, Jack lifting her again then sliding in beside her. They followed Elaine’s directions to the house, but it looked quiet. Mike slipped out of the cab and walked up the sidewalk to knock on the door, but no one answered. He returned and they sat in the truck for a long few minutes, just kind of watching.
“If she’s at work we may be sitting here a long time,” Jack murmured.
Glancing at the clock on the dash she saw it was only a little after nine. “Let’s slide by the dog park. I know it’s a reach but until we hear from Si or the kids are released from school we don’t have any leads.”
Mike put the truck into gear. “Sounds fine to me.”
They cruised around the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The dog park was indeed one of the backgrounds on the pictures, but it was mostly deserted today. All of the kids were in school right this moment so there would be no kidnappings, at least for a few hours.
Andrea glanced up at Jack. His eyes were mere slits and he had his head propped on his hand, looking a little sleepy. “Maybe it would be a good time to go back to Mike’s house and rest. I have a feeling once school is out we’re going to be hopping.”
“I agree,” Mike murmured, turning the wheel. They cruised back to his house and parked. Once again, Jack helped her down from the truck. Andrea wanted to hang onto his arm as they walked up to the house, but she let him go.
Goose greeted them happily, making Andrea forget for a moment how dangerous the situation they were in was. The dog was a great distraction. Jack paused near her and she looked up at him. She could see how tired he was. “Go take a nap, Jack. I’m going to find a corner to curl up in, too.”
“Take the bed, then,” he said immediately.
Andrea shook her head. She shouldn’t have even mentioned it. “No, go lay down. I have a few things to do before I can.”
“Tell the kids hi.”
“I will,” she said, smiling as he turned away. He knew she was worried about them.
Mike disappeared into his office and Andrea curled up on the couch, looking at her phone. She hadn’t received any more text messages from the terrorist, but she was afraid she would. Even if the CIA turned off Mann’s phone, and the guy, Mustafa would have had to do was jot down her number to use on another phone. For now, though, it was all clear.
She called Jennie first.
“Hey, Mom, what’s up?”
Tears filled Andrea’s eyes when she heard her daughter’s sweet voice. “I’m surprised you’re not in class.”
“Well, I’m between classes right this second. What did you need?”
“Oh,” Andrea said, suddenly second-guessing the call. “Nothing really. I just wanted to check in and tell you I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Jennie panted, obviously climbing stairs now. “How’s the Grind?”
“Um, okay. I had to step away for a few days, so if you call there don’t be surprised if I’m not there.”
That seemed to catch Jeannette’s attention. “Okay, what’s up? You don’t leave the shop at all. You’ve only visited me once since you’ve opened it.”
Andrea sighed, knowing that she needed to tell her daughter something. If, by chance, something happened to her she didn’t want a lie to be the last thing between them. “Jack and I are in Norfolk. I overheard some things in the shop and we’re checking them out.”
“Okay,” Jennie said slowly. “Is that some code-speak for you and Jack getting away together someplace romantic?” She giggled at her own remark. “Because I would be totally okay with that.”
“No,” Andrea said quickly, then heard the rest of what Jennie said. “Wait. You would be okay with Jack and me—together?”
“Of course, Mom. We thought you knew that. Ryan and I decided a long time ago that Jack was almost our father anyway, with as much as he’s been around. And he was right there with you after Dad died. We expected you to lean on him, and, um, more.”
She had, and things had whirled out of control, but that wasn’t something she could tell her
daughter. “I, uh, I thank you for that. We’ll have to talk about it later, though. Right now we’re doing something for the Navy.”
“Okay, well, just know that we’re okay with it. You’ve been alone for a long time, more than long enough. You both have.”
Tears started in her eyes and it took everything she had to keep to the topic. That was something she’d never expected to hear from her kids. Had they known how she felt about Jack?
“I’ll call you when we’re done. Just know that I love you with all of my heart.”
“I love you too, Mom. Oh, and if you try for Ryan, good luck. He said something about a trip to the mountains with his girlfriend.”
Andrea laughed, shaking her head. “Okay. Thanks, Jennie, for everything. I love you with all my heart.”
“Okay, gotta run. Love you!”
And she hung up.
Andrea sat staring at the phone in her hand, a million thoughts running through her head. When had her daughter gotten to be so smart? It sounded like she’d talked to Ryan about it as well. They’d both dated, of course, but neither one had any extensive relationship experience other than what they’d seen of her with their father, who was gone more than he was home. So, how did they get so wise?
She sent Luke a message to check on the shop and he responded almost immediately, reassuring her that everything was running fine. Business was up over the past couple of days.
She kind of wondered how many CIA or Homeland Security agents had been hanging in the shop, posing as customers just to monitor the patrons. Probably a fair amount.
Once she checked on her obligations she tilted her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She’d taken a nap but it hadn’t been enough. The never-ending tiredness began to push at her now, though, and she sagged into the cushions, relaxing.
It seemed like she’d been asleep for only a moment when strong hands slipped beneath her and took her weight. She wasn’t alarmed. She knew who had her in his arms. Nestling into his thick chest she let him carry her to the bed, but when he tried to pull away she wouldn’t let him. “Lie down, Jack. You need sleep as much as I do.”
He paused for an incredibly long time and she almost fell asleep again. “Let me move you over a little.”
He shifted her across the bed. Andrea ended up on her side, facing away from him. When his weight settled onto the mattress behind her, though, her heartbeat picked up a little. Jack never took comfort for himself. For as long as she’d known him he had always put her comfort, or kids’ comfort, even Dorian’s ahead of his own. He would sleep on the hard floor before anyone else. He’d just always been that way. She loved it that he was actually sharing the bed with her, no matter how platonic.
Besides, she thought with a grin, they were old enough that they should be able to control themselves. If they really wanted to.
Chapter Eight
Jack knew he needed sleep. His eyes were gritty and he had that over-jacked feeling in his muscles, like they’d been abused too long and he needed to recharge. It was impossible to do with Andrea draped across his body the way she was.
When he’d first laid down behind her she’d been on her right side, her back to him. He had positioned himself the same way and was asleep within seconds. At some point, though, she had rolled over and he had flattened to his back, allowing her to reach her hand across his chest and nestle her head into his shoulder.
Andrea didn’t weigh more than a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet, but as soon as she settled against him he was awake and his heart was racing with need. They didn’t touch like this, ever, and he was hyperaware of every inch of contact. It was as if his starved body was finally getting the nourishment that it needed.
They’d only touched like this one other time, and he didn’t feel like that should even be counted. Emotionally lost, they’d each needed support after Dorian had died. Jack had moved into the guest room to be there for her, and take care of the little things. They’d both needed to have the companionship. Yes, Andrea was used to running her house alone while Dorian had been deployed but after he’d been killed she’d been… a little lost. And Jack was happy to be there for her, even though it tore him up inside. Andrea was everything he’d ever thought he would want in a woman, and she was the one woman he’d never be able to have.
That one night, though, she’d come to his room, eyes haunted. He’d opened his arms to her and she’d crawled into the bed against him. His body had reacted of course and she’d pulled back to look at him, propping herself on her elbow. What she’d said, though, had gutted him. “I’m not here because of Dorian.”
He’d blinked at her, not understanding. Shifting up to mirror her pose, he’d frowned. “What?”
“I’m here because of you,” she’d said, and leaned forward to press her mouth to his.
Jack could remember the taste of her as if it had happened moments ago, rather than years. For a second he’d been stunned at her actions and he hadn’t moved, then the feel of her lips, and the scent of her breath had catapulted him into a need so deep it had stunned him. Cupping her head with his bad hand he’d kissed her back, his body reacting quicker and harder than it ever had before. Her words confused him, though, and that confusion was enough to make him draw back. “What are you doing, Andrea?”
Her lips had been wet from his mouth. Her tongue flicked out, tasting him again, and she’d shaken her head. “I’m sad about Dorian, but we weren’t in love with each other any more. I knew about the affair, the woman he was sleeping with overseas. I mean, I don’t know who she is but I know it had been going on for a long time.”
Jack had sat up at the side of the bed at that point, his body chilling. Dorian’s infidelity had been the cause of the biggest fight they’d ever had. When he’d realized what Dorian had been doing when he’d been sneaking around the forward operating base on their down time, Jack had been pissed. But Dorian had given him the same words Andrea had used—they weren’t in love with each other anymore— and he’d let it go, but he’d lost respect for the man. That incident had happened about a year before he’d died.
Guilt had dogged him, though, and damned, unending loyalty. He could remember the feel of Andrea’s hand on his back that night, and making the decision that he needed to go. It was too sudden, this switching of lanes, and he didn’t think he could live with himself if he gave in to the need twisting his heart. It was physical, he told himself. Andrea was still Dorian’s wife, and it would take a while for him not to think of her any other way.
He’d left her in the bed that night and he’d moved to the couch. The next morning he’d packed his things and gone to the beach house. Her expression had been haunted when he’d told her he was leaving, but she’d nodded her head, her eyes cool. “Thank you for giving me the time you did.”
Now, though, as he felt the weight of her nestled against him, he didn’t feel the same deluge of guilt for laying with Dorian’s wife. It had been five years and time and distance gave you some clarity on the past. This felt… not wrong.
Andrea fit against him like she’d been built to be there. Her curves fit against his strength. She was damn near laying hip to hip with him. To give her the benefit of the doubt, though, he was more than double her weight so she’d already been rolling into him as she slept. Moving carefully, trying not to wake her, he shifted a little flatter. His hip was screaming at him because he’d been in the same position so long.
Jack felt her wake, just some change in the tension of her body. For a long time she didn’t move, like she was afraid to. If he were honest with himself, he was afraid for her to move as well. Andrea was a very nice armful. Forcing his breathing to deepen, he tried to encourage her back to sleep.
When he next woke it seemed like they’d both fallen asleep again because the angle of the light through the window had changed. Andrea had shifted her right leg up over his hips, her knee riding his heavy erection. His left hand was on the crook of her knee, like he’d been about t
o pull her across him.
What the fuck had he been thinking? Very carefully he opened his left hand and lifted it away.
“Damn,” she breathed against his chest. “This was just starting to get interesting.”
Jack closed his eyes for a moment, completely caught. He felt regret as well as a desperate, clawing hunger. And he felt…sadness, that Dorian hadn’t appreciated this amazing woman.
As if she felt him getting ready to move, Andrea lifted herself up over top of him, straddling his hips completely. Jack went still, shocked at her actions, his gaze going to the door to make sure it was shut. Then he looked back at her, determined to memorize the feel of her body on his own, for however long it lasted.
“You know,” Andrea said slowly. “We have this problem.” Very carefully she lifted one of her knees, settling her weight more heavily onto his erection. Jack gritted his teeth, trying not to moan out loud. “We both want each other, but we’re both afraid to reach out. Why is that, Jack?” she whispered. “Why are we afraid to reach out to each other?”
In spite of her words, that’s exactly what she did, leaning forward to cup his face in her hands. Then, before he could shift away, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
Jack thought he would be struck by lightning or something. This was Dorian’s wife, and he coveted her more than he ever had anything else in this world. It didn’t matter that Dorian had been gone for five years, Jack still considered her off-limits.
When her mouth moved over him, though, and her head tilted, he couldn’t help but respond just a tiny bit. And when her tongue stroked the outside of his lips requesting entry, he was suddenly powerless to deny her. Opening his mouth he allowed her entry, and the tsunami of feelings that plowed into him was epic. Long denied, those feelings had built and built until the two of them had reached this point, on the edge of sin and pleasure.
Unable to help himself Jack cupped her head in his hand, pulling her tighter to him. Her taste was luscious and spicy, just like he remembered from the first time they’d kissed. The taste had haunted him for years, making him search for the combination endlessly. The only thing that had ever come close had been grilled peaches, but they paled in comparison to her mouth, he realized now.
